1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a connector having a sealing ring.
2. Description of the Related Art
Patent document 1 discloses a connector for supplying electric power to devices, such as a motor, of an electric car. The motor is accommodated inside a case made of a metal. The connector has a device-side connector with a housing mounted in a mounting hole that horizontally penetrates the case and a harness-side connector with a housing mounted on terminals of electric wires. The housing of the harness-side connector has a tubular fit-on portion that is fit in a tubular hood of the device-side housing.
A sealing ring is mounted in an annular holding groove formed on the peripheral surface of the fit-on tubular portion of the harness-side connector. The sealing ring is comparatively flexible and annular, and therefore is apt to deviate and rotate. Accordingly, a rotation-stopping groove is formed in the peripheral surface of the fit-on tubular portion of the harness-side connector and extends continuously from the annular holding groove in a direction orthogonal to the annular holding groove. A rotation-stopping projection is formed on the sealing ring and is fit into the rotation-stopping groove to prevent the sealing ring from dislocating and rotating.
The bottom surfaces of the annular holding groove and the rotation-stopping groove of the housing of the above-described conventional connector have an equal depth, have no irregularities formed thereon, and are continuous with each other. Similarly, there are no radial steps or irregularities where the rotation-stopping projection projects continuously from the sealing ring.
A comparatively large force can be applied to the sealing ring as a result of inadvertent touching by an operator when handling a wire harness where the above-described connector has been mounted. This force can be applied in a direction that causes the rotation-stopping projection to float from the rotation-stopping groove, and hence the sealing ring may rotate along the annular holding groove.
The invention has been made in view of the above-described situation. Therefore it is an object of the invention to provide a connector in which a sealing ring will not rotate inadvertently on a fit-on tubular portion.